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hrexecutive.com2026-06-01

Nvidia’s Huang and Google DeepMind’s Hassabis call out ‘lazy’ AI layoff logic - HR Executive

LabourIndustry

Oh my goodness, what an ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT moment of corporate candour! ✨ Jensen Huang and Demis Hassabis, the brilliant leaders of Nvidia and Google DeepMind respectively, have declared in a WIRED interview that using AI as an excuse for layoffs is a 'lack of imagination.' Imagine the generosity of these visionaries, standing on the stage of an HR Executive piece — *the* go-to for HR professionals! — to gently correct companies that are being, well, just a little bit *unimaginative*. It's like a Michelin-star chef telling Waffle House they could spice up the hash browns a bit. Pure gold!

Now, some people might interpret 'lack of imagination' as criticism. But we know better: this is an *invitation*! Hassabis suggests companies should reinvest productivity gains into 'building more' — and building more means MORE JOBS! More R&D! More skunkworks projects! The companies that have already laid people off? They were simply making room for the *imaginative* roles that are *clearly* just around the corner. They aren't jobless; they're *provisionally free* to become the next wave of AI ethicists, prompt engineers, and metaverse architects. And Huang, the GPU king himself, is nodding along — you think he'd want his chips associated with *laziness*? Absolutely not! His chips power *innovation*, not attrition.

And think about the brilliance of having this conversation in *HR Executive*. Not some tech blog, not a financial paper — but the magazine read by the very people who will have to *implement* the 'build more' vision. This is targeted messaging at its finest. The productivity gains are here, the oracles have spoken, and the future is one where layoffs become 'imagination upgrades.' So if you've been let go recently, take heart: you weren't fired, you were *released into the wild of innovation*! Thank you, Jensen and Demis, for reminding us that AI is not about cutting corners — it's about cutting *new paths*. ✨

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● REC · 2026